“Estrogen Dominance” is a term often used to refer to a cluster of symptoms that result from too much estrogen influence. Hormones are the computer programmers of your cells. Normally, they function as a team–with each one having a specialty. Often one will balance the activity of another. Hormonal biochemistry is complicated, but for simplicity sake, let’s say estrogen and progesterone are analogous to the accelerator and brake in your car. Estrogen revs things up. It increases your sensory perception such that you are more aware of details. It also lowers your threshold for becoming anxious and increases aggression. This serves mammals well just after the birth of an offspring. A woman’s senses are heightened such that she can be wakened by the baby rolling over in its sleep (Men can be wakened by a loud thump). Estrogen amps up all of the senses such that a woman will sense early-on, anything that might put the baby in danger. There will be hyper-vigilance in general. This may be reflected as increased irritability, mood swings, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, or aggressive behavior. Estrogens can also affect the heart, causing an increased heart rate and palpitations. This will often send women to heart doctors who have no clue about estrogen dominance. They will run $10,000 worth of test and tell you everything is “normal” and that you need to see a psychiatrist.

Progesterone has a balancing effect on estrogen. Progesterone relieves anxiety, relaxes muscles by increasing your absorption of magnesium, causes production of “happy chemicals” like dopamine and endorphins, lowers blood pressure and more. Progesterone puts the brakes on symptoms caused by the acceleration of too much estrogen. If progesterone levels get low, women may experience some of the symptoms below. This often happens cyclically to cause symptoms labeled as PMS. Low progesterone is also common just after giving birth as the placenta produces lots of progesterone. Peri-menopause (late 30’s-early 50’s) is the other time women experience estrogen dominance. In years past, women would be said to have “nervous breakdowns” and were often committed to insane asylums. Today, you get treated with antidepressants, sleeping pills, anxiety pills, and drugs to slow the heart rate down. Simply replacing progesterone (Her Balance) and adding magnesium will address estrogen dominance.

Following the BALi Eating Plan will further improve things as fat cells produce estrogen. Less fat in your body=less estrogen.